Over the Phone
by The Analyzer
Summary: Jun chats with Momoe over romance, exams, future careers, and their friendship. REVISED.


**Over the Phone**

**by**

**The Analyzer**

A knock cut through Jun's chatter. She pushed herself up from her bed to glare at her door. That better not be her mother on the other side of the bedroom door, she thought. Yes, Jun knew that she was chatting on the phone into the late hours, but she had a good excuse for that, or so she thought. Hours earlier, she had awakened from a long rest while Shuu and Professor Takenouchi were driving her back home. Needless to say, sleep wouldn't be claiming her for some time, so Jun didn't see the point of turning in early only to toss and turn for most of the night. Besides, it was a Friday night. She could afford to stay up passed her bedtime.

"Hey sis, it's me!"

Jun relaxed slightly as she recognized Daisuke's annoyed tones. She could deal with her brother.

"What is it?" she called through the door. "Don't tell me you're going to remind me that it's my bedtime."

"No, I just want you to quiet down a little." Daisuke replied. "I'm trying to do my homework and your giggling is making it hard to concentrate."

"Hey, that's no way to treat your sister after she's been gone for so long." Jun teased. "Besides, I never took you to be the scholarly sort, Daisuke."

"I'm not." Sulkiness entered his tones. "It's just that bad grades can get you kicked off the soccer team and I can't part with soccer! Besides, Takeru and the others have been bugging me to finish the homework so I won't have it hanging over me when we go to the Digital World for the weekend."

"Something's going on in the Digital World?" Jun asked, slightly worried. From what snatches of conversation she picked up, things had been pretty peaceful there since March.

"Don't get paranoid." Daisuke replied. "We're just vacationing on File Island, one of the places where Takeru's team had their adventures. At any rate, can you keep it down so I can finish my homework?"

"Oh, I don't know." Jun said in mock reluctance. "The way you asked me was pretty rude. Why don't you ask for Dad's earplugs?"

"Dad's asleep now. And you know how grumpy he is when you wake him up, so I'm not going to sneak into his room." Daisuke said, frustration entering his voice. "C'mon sis, give me a break."

Jun hummed speculatively, teasingly drawing out the tension. Then she gave an overdramatic sigh.

"Alright, dear brother. I'll be quiet, but only for you."

"Thanks…I think." Daisuke said, bemused.

There were awkward footsteps and the sound of a door closing and Jun found herself alone with her cell phone.

"Sorry about the interruption, Momoe." she said in a lower voice.

"It's alright." Momoe's voice said. "May I ask what that was about?"

"Oh, I was talking too loud for Daisuke to concentrate on his homework." Jun said, rolling her eyes. "He's going to the Digital World for the weekend and wants to finish it now."

"It's the same over here." Momoe said wryly. "Miyako threatened everyone to be quiet and not interrupt her so she could finish her work. Hawkmon was apologizing repeatedly as he followed her into her room. Since then, she has only come out to get her dinner."

"This must be some really big trip. And that's saying something, since they've been in and out of the Digital World ever since they defeated that vampire guy."

"I personally believe Miyako fits the Digital World. From what I have heard, it complements her outgoing nature perfectly."

"Yeah, Daisuke's the same. He loves the Digital World. I bet it's the only thing that could compete with soccer and Hikari-chan's heart." Jun shared a giggle with Momoe. A quiet one, though – she didn't want her brother interrupting her conversation again. "I bet if he decided to move there, he would be right at home."

"Do you really believe that he would move to the Digital World?" Momoe asked, her patient tone eclipsed with uncertainty.

"Oh, I'm just kidding around! Now that I think about it though, I wouldn't be surprised if he climbed up a statue and announced it to the whole world."

"Wouldn't you miss him if he actually moved to the Digital World?" Momoe asked, her uncertain tone growing.

"Oh, not really!" Jun waved a dismissive hand. "Okay, maybe a little, but he could take care of himself there. Besides, it's not like he couldn't visit every so often."

"I see." Momoe murmured.

Jun frowned. Something was not right about that tone…

"Momoe, are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Then a bit hastily, she added. "Anyway, you were going to talk about your moment with Shuu, correct?"

"Yeah." Jun said uncertainly, the worry over her friend competing for the nostalgic reminisce of an excellent romantic outing. Eventually, the latter won out. If Momoe showed anymore signs of worry, she would press her on it later.

Having spent most of the vacation traveling with Shuu and Professor Takenouchi, she had many great moments with Shuu, but one stood out in particular. So Jun painted the scene for her friend to visualize. They had stopped at a motel on a rural mountain, after having conducted research of the local myths with Professor Takenouchi. The adult in question had fallen asleep, giving the pair the chance to sneak into the wilderness and search for a good vantage point to admire the stars. Fortunately, they found a quality cliff to observe the heavens and time passed pointing out the constellations. Then Jun and Shuu located each other's birth signs and they admired them for a while. Then they turned to admire each other…

"…and when we looked into each other's eyes, neither of us spoke. I wonder if he had been as nervous as I was, as I suddenly couldn't work up the nerve to speak. I don't know if all the research into urban legends and local myths had made us psychic or what, but we somehow came to the same idea and then we began to lean closer. And then…and then!" Jun's nerves and excitement raised her voice to a squeak as she tried to get the next few words out. "We kissed! We kissed and it lasted a while and tasted so sweet. It was one of the best kisses I've ever experienced. Oh, you should have been there, Momoe…that didn't come out right, did it?"

Momoe laughed. "That's alright. It sounds like you're very happy."

"I am." Jun gushed, missing the catch present in her friend's laughter. "You know, we should get you a boyfriend too so you could experience this happiness."

"Oh Jun, don't start this again!" Momoe groaned.

"Why not? You're pretty. You're smart. I've seen the way some guys look at you. What could go wrong?"

"I can think of many possibilities."

"Oh c'mon! It's not like I'm going to leave you in the dust as soon as you approach a boy. I'll be right there with you, giving advice."

"Oh. Thank you, Jun." For some reason, Momoe sounded a bit happier. "I don't see myself dating in the future, but I appreciate your offer."

"You're welcome! But don't write off your dating future yet. Who knows, you might change your mind later."

"Oh well, not in the _immediate_ future. We need time to study for our entrance exams, remember?"

"Oh, don't remind me." Jun grimaced at the thought. Ever since her education had begun to focus on passing the entrance exams, Jun had found her free time being gradually replaced by more homework and studying. That was why Jun didn't look forward toward returning to it. Sure it hadn't yet reached the point where the exams would invade her every waking moment, but it was going to get there. She didn't want her time with Momoe to become restricted to school and phone calls, or her described moment with Shuu to be the last major one she would experience in a while. Nevertheless, both of those possibilities were likely to occur. The entrance exams were going to become the bane of Jun's existence.

"I hope that you have been studying." Momoe said suspiciously.

"Oh, I have." Jun said, a bit too quickly. "Shuu has been helping me with some of the material while we traveled and I've been studying a lot…well, sometimes I would go and read a magazine, but other than that…"

There was a sigh of amusement. "So even your boyfriend has only had moderate success toward changing your studying habits?"

"Hey, I'll get by." Jun said defensively. "I'll probably ace this as well as I've aced the high school entrance exams, because I've got a secret weapon."

"What is this secret weapon?" Momoe asked apprehensively.

Jun grinned. "Why you, of course!"

She could almost imagine Momoe blushing a bit on the other end of the phone. Well, it was true! One of the silver linings to the entrance exams were that they led to the friendship between the two girls.

Jun recalled how panicked she had been during her first cram lesson for those exams. She had arrived late, having forgotten the location and time until the lecture had already started, and she apologized profusely for her tardiness. The lecturer, not amused by the interruption, gave her a stern warning and assigned her to one of the few remaining empty seats. The normally social Jun sat near the studious Momoe without exchanging greetings and turned her attention toward assimilating the lecture.

Unfortunately for Jun, she had always had trouble translating her educators' words in something comprehensible, so when she tried to assimilate the lecture, all she did was become increasingly confused and panicked. By the time the class was supposed to tackle an exercise that might end up on the exams, Jun was at her wits end.

"Oh, I don't understand any of this!" Jun bemoaned. She had gotten into trouble more than once for her flair for the dramatic, so she said it quietly enough so that no punishment would follow and further exacerbate her misery.

But her declaration had been loud enough for Momoe's ears. She turned to her in concern. "Are you okay?"

"No, I am not okay." Jun didn't snap these words but spoke them into her arms. "I'm going to fail these exams! I'm going to fail them and not get into a good school and spend the rest of my days as a street urchin."

Momoe frowned at this bleak outlook. "Maybe I could help you. I understand the material, so I might be able to translate it for you."

Jun had turned toward her swiftly, her streaming face uncomfortably close to Momoe's. "Oh, _please_ do!"

Fortunately for Jun, they moved beyond the awkwardness of that exchange. While the lecture went on, Momoe quietly translated it into words Jun could comprehend. Jun had been so grateful for the assistance, that Momoe helped her with the lectures that followed. As they studied for their high school entrance exams, they became close, swapping information increasingly irrelevant to their education. For instance, Jun would inform Momoe on how to best use makeup to maximize her beauty and Momoe would inform Jun on what ingredients enhanced the flavor of tea. Eventually, Jun and Momoe became close friends and remained so even when entrance exams entered their lives once again…

"Jun? Jun?"

The girl in question blinked as she snapped back to the present. "Sorry, Momoe. You were saying something?"

"I wasn't saying anything. You have been quiet for a minute and I was beginning to worry."

"Oh, I was just reminiscing about the good old days – nothing important or anything. So, where did we leave off?"

"You stated that I was your secret weapon for the entrance exams."

"That's right! Yeah, you'll help me get through them. You will help me, right?"

"Of course." Momoe said patiently. "However, you better pull yourself together. You'll need to be capable of tackling materials on the entrance exams independently when we become adults."

"So you're going to abandon me?" Jun asked, feigning sadness.

"Of course not!" Momoe said quickly. "When you have a job, though, I cannot be always by your side to help you."

"It's alright, I was just playing." Jun assured her. "You don't need to get your panties in a twist."

"Sorry about that. I guess the late hours are making me less sharp."

"It's okay. You woke up with the birds, but I didn't regain consciousness till noon." Jun said. "Speaking of employment, what would you consider your dream job to be?"

"My dream job?" Momoe repeated, her tone becoming contemplative. "Well, I have always had an interest in tea. Maybe I could get into the business of tea making or set up my own tea shop."

"That's my Momoe – always interested in her tea." Jun teased.

"Yes, well…what would _you_ consider to be your dream job?"

"Oh, that's easy." Jun grinned. "I'd like to help research all those myths and legends with Shuu-kun and Professor Takenouchi. I could be something like their note taker, so they could be free to do other stuff."

"It doesn't sound like the task of note taking would yield a great salary though." Momoe pointed out.

"Hey, it's a dream job! A great salary doesn't have to equate into such fantasies." Jun said. "Working close with Shuu would more than compensate for a small paycheck! Besides, all these myths we researched were interesting and I loved traveling all over the country. I wouldn't mind working with them for the rest of my life."

"Wouldn't that mean that you'd be gone from home most of the time?"

Jun frowned. "Momoe, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean? There is nothing wrong." Momoe said quickly.

"C'mon Momoe, don't hide it from me. You've been sounding worried now and then all the time we've been talking. I want to know what's eating you."

"Well…"

"C'mon, we're friends. Friends lend an ear to one another if one of them is feeling down. I'm lending an ear to you, so tell me what's wrong?"

Jun could almost hear Momoe smile. "You are right. I'm sorry that I have been secretive, Jun."

"It's alright." Jun assured.

"It is just…the talk about your brother moving to the Digital World; your dates with Shuu-san; facing adult commitments on your own; and considering a career that involves much travel…it's making me worry about our friendship."

"Why? What's wrong with our friendship?"

"Nothing...well, not exactly. I should have rephrased it. I meant, I fear we are growing apart?"

"What do you mean?" Jun asked, feeling that she was about to reach the heart of the matter.

"Well, with your dates with Shuu and the entrance exams, we didn't spend as much time together as we could have. In addition, I fear that university and work will further cut into our time. We might drift apart and no longer remain friends."

Jun frowned over Momoe's words. She hated to admit it, but her friend had a point. Ever since she had begun dating Shuu, it had been difficult balancing companionship time between her boyfriend and her best friend. The addition of the approaching entrance exams further complicated the balancing act and Jun ended up spending more time with Shuu than Momoe. Jun felt guilty about that.

She also had to admit that she shared Momoe's fear of how future education and careers would impact their relationship. Jun and Momoe might not attend the same university and the large workload that awaited them could cut into their time together. And if Jun actually landed a job with Shuu and Professor Takenouchi, the hours spent traveling would probably discontinue most contact between the two girls altogether. A grim future appeared to await Jun and Momoe's friendship.

However, Jun wasn't a Motomiya for nothing! Her nature told her not to give in to such a bleak possibility and she was determined to tell Momoe this.

"Hey, perk up!" Jun said. "Are you saying you're going to let us drift apart without lifting a finger to stop it?"

"Of course not!" Momoe said hesitantly. "But-"

"But what? If you aren't going to allow our friendship to end, what is there to worry about?" Jun's tone softened. "_I_ won't give up on my end either. You are my friend Momoe and I intend for us to be friends till we become grannies in convalescent homes."

"But…how we are going to continue being close with one another if one of us is away most of the time?" Momoe asked.

"If Professor Takenouchi could sustain his marriage while being away for most of the time, then the two of us could sustain our friendship, even if it's a long distance one." Jun replied. "We can e-mail and call each other every day and keep tabs on what's going on in each other's lives. I can visit you when I'm on vacation. You can visit me while you're on vacation. Heck, maybe you can ride along with us if you have enough days off! It's possible that we can remain friends, Momoe, and I don't see a reason why we shouldn't."

"Jun…" Momoe's voice cracked slightly and there was a pause as a sniffle was stifled. "You are right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted that we will remain friends in the future. After all, it is not in your personality to give up such bonds."

"It's alright." Jun assured. "You needed to get that off your chest and I don't mind your consulting me about your worries. If you are still worried about anything, ring me up and I'll be around as quickly as I can."

"Yes." Momoe said, her tone becoming happier. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Hey, want to hang out for the weekend? All this talk about friendship makes me want to seek your company and I've got the feeling that the feeling's mutual over there!"

"It is." Momoe's smile was almost audible to Jun. "So, where do you think we should meet?"

"Hmm, let's see…"

By the time Jun finally bid farewell to Momoe, the pair had worked out a location for them to meet. Jun put the phone down with a smile. Even though connections would probably be tested in the upcoming years, Jun was confident that her bond with Momoe would not be broken. Whether in the flesh, through e-mail, or over the phone, Jun and Momoe would remain in contact and continue being friends no matter what perils awaited them.

**The End**

* * *

- Thanks go out to the great Higuchimon for her advice and corrections on the fic.

- Speaking of Higuchimon, this is an overdue request from her. It might have taken a couple of years to finally sit down and grind it out, but it's finally done!

- This story was revised 8/10/09. Thanks go out to my mom for reviewing the story for mistakes.


End file.
